Ya, it's kinda interesting, 3 brothers from one Huang family rooted in Yiwu ran Yiwu Guanzizai, Yiwu Yongpin Hao, and yet another unknown brand called 'DianYi' (I was told it's equally wonderful as well) by the junior. They are all very successful.

BTW, four more 'Yuan Nian' cakes, including Yiwu cake mentioned in this thread had been ordered and sent to Kunming. I think I got most prized Yuan Nian teas so far.

From what I've read, there have been a lot of upheavals in the world of pu'er over the last few years. I recall when the cigar fad hit around fifteen years ago. Long established factories had to scramble to meet increased demand, occasionally at the expense of their good name, only to be met by an overloaded distribution network catering to a confused public. New brands would crop up almost daily, and sellers soon found themselves stocked to the rafters with junk they couldn't unload when the public jumped to the next fad. Cohibas were faked (still are), empires crumbled, the ubiquitous mall cigar kiosks evaporated, and it was just a mess. When the dust settled, the johhnie-come-latelies were relegated to the dungheap of history, and the classic brands remained.

Pu'er seems to be experiencing similar growing pains in terms of meeting its world market. A lot of folks seem to have jumped on the bandwagon, and you'll hear a lot of discussion regarding "the good old days" or "this factory is a shadow of its former self." I don't know why factories can't produce the best teas ever made these days. The trees are older (which equals better, right?) and the production processes should be better than ever. Then again, I can't explain why we can't build a bridge today when we built them before we had trucks. In any event, there should be a plethora of great teas out there.

Xiaguan seems to have done very well recently. Almost every one I've tried has been good, and everything branded FT has been excellent. The FT Nan Zhou is another lovely tuo, and strikes me as one of their fruitier offerings. It smells of warm toast, and has a lovely, jammy apricot component that is endearing. It's a very good value.

puerhking wrote:(in a southern drawl) I do declare....Sarah.......do we detect a movement away from your beloved oolongs?

Oh, I am an equal opportunity tea junkie... and very interested in having that "Ah HA!" moment where I finally really "get it" what all the puerh fuss is about. I haven't disliked any I've had, but I haven't been seduced... YET. But I think I sorta want to be, LOL.

I shoulda gotten on the pu box pass... that might have pushed me over the edge!

Sarah

Oh you will be seduced Sarah.....just give it time. It is the red wine of tea in my opinion as it has the most complexity and breadth of flavor. You just have to drink enough to align your taster to its particular nuances.

From what I've read, there have been a lot of upheavals in the world of pu'er over the last few years. I recall when the cigar fad hit around fifteen years ago. Long established factories had to scramble to meet increased demand, occasionally at the expense of their good name, only to be met by an overloaded distribution network catering to a confused public. New brands would crop up almost daily, and sellers soon found themselves stocked to the rafters with junk they couldn't unload when the public jumped to the next fad. Cohibas were faked (still are), empires crumbled, the ubiquitous mall cigar kiosks evaporated, and it was just a mess. When the dust settled, the johhnie-come-latelies were relegated to the dungheap of history, and the classic brands remained.

Pu'er seems to be experiencing similar growing pains in terms of meeting its world market. A lot of folks seem to have jumped on the bandwagon, and you'll hear a lot of discussion regarding "the good old days" or "this factory is a shadow of its former self." I don't know why factories can't produce the best teas ever made these days. The trees are older (which equals better, right?) and the production processes should be better than ever. Then again, I can't explain why we can't build a bridge today when we built them before we had trucks. In any event, there should be a plethora of great teas out there.

Xiaguan seems to have done very well recently. Almost every one I've tried has been good, and everything branded FT has been excellent. The FT Nan Zhou is another lovely tuo, and strikes me as one of their fruitier offerings. It smells of warm toast, and has a lovely, jammy apricot component that is endearing. It's a very good value.

What separates XiaGuan and MengHai from many others is that they have the luxury of owning their own plantations and trees. As a result, they can essentially produce a very consistent stock year after year.

hop_goblin wrote:What separates XiaGuan and MengHai from many others is that they have the luxury of owning their own plantations and trees. As a result, they can essentially produce a very consistent stock year after year.

True. Better to be at the mercy of mother nature than the whim of your competitors.

hop_goblin wrote:What separates XiaGuan and MengHai from many others is that they have the luxury of owning their own plantations and trees. As a result, they can essentially produce a very consistent stock year after year.

True. Better to be at the mercy of mother nature than the whim of your competitors.

This basically tasted like young sheng that has mellowed out a little. I lost track of how many infusions I got out of it, but it was a lot, just like any other pu. Overall, the tea was very enjoyable and not at all bitter like it turned out when brewed at the shop. It was also a little less harsh on my stomach than younger shengs.

I will have to try some other shengs at this age level to have something to compare it against.

This basically tasted like young sheng that has mellowed out a little. I lost track of how many infusions I got out of it, but it was a lot, just like any other pu. Overall, the tea was very enjoyable and not at all bitter like it turned out when brewed at the shop. It was also a little less harsh on my stomach than younger shengs.

I will have to try some other shengs at this age level to have something to compare it against.

Oily, vibrant, young, energetic. These are pretty good ways of describing the Springtime Water cake from Menghai. A fantastic bang for buck weighing at roughly a pound for a mere $13.70! Be mindful of it's age and tenacity, use slightly less leaf than you normally would and this tea shows you an evolving flavor over infusions, pushing it tends to provide excellent results that differ from the last infusion, while only gaining slightly in a good bitterness and astringency. This is quite simply a surprise tea, a sleeper hit Dayi release for 08. I've not heard anyone even mention this cake this year, and it's really quite a shame. If you're looking for that cake to round out your next order from YSSLC, think twice and take a gamble. I'm sure if you don't agree with me now you might in a few years. Good tea for the money.